Eddy Lepp

Eddy Lepp Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison

Monday May 18, 2009

It was a sad day indeed today, when Judge Marilyn Hall Patel sentenced Eddy to 10 years in prison with five years of probation afterwards, with no cannabis allowed.

Considering his age and health problems, Eddy considers this a life sentence.

Eddy enters jail on July 6th, 2009 unless appeals work swiftly, or he is pardoned for this senseless act of cruel and unusual punishment.

You can help Reverend Eddy Lepp by writing to President Obama, and your government representatives as listed below:

The White House
President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
FAX: (202) 456-2461

Dear President Obama, I am writing to you to request that you intervene in the Federal sentencing of Reverend Charles “Eddy” Lepp.

Reverend Charles "Eddy" Lepp of the Multi Denominational Ministry Of Cannabis & Rastafari was sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison on May 18, 2009 for growing more than 1,000 marijuana plants.

Eddy Lepp had notified the Governor, the Attorney General, the Board Of Supervisors of Lake County, the Lake County District Attorney, and the local Sheriff; all by certified mail that he was growing the sacred herb for medicinal and spiritual use – by the members of his ministry.

He was denied a religious defense even after the judge ruled he met all the standards necessary to allow this.

Reverend Lepp protected all members of his church, and was the only one charged.

Eddy Lepp was forbidden from entering any real sort of defense to the charges, since federal courts do not allow testimony regarding California’s medical use law.

After four years of litigation, his trial was reduced to two very short days of testimony due to restrictions placed by Judge Marilyn Hall Patel. The whole trial was over in less than one week.

To know that this gentle man is going to prison for a decade at age 57 makes me physically ill. This religious man who so bravely helped so many sick and dying and sense-threatened Californians find relief through the medicine grown on his land is going to spend more time in prison than the average rapist, man slaughterer, and child molester because our country has not yet overcome its prudish impulse to punish people for moral reasons.

President Obama, you can commute his sentence. With the stroke of a pen, you can see that Rev. Eddy Lepp receives no more punishment for being convicted of growing plants for sick people than Scooter Libby received for felony convictions of obstruction of justice, perjury (twice), and providing false statements to federal investigators. Eddy Lepp’s felony conviction will still stand, but we will save the taxpayers the unnecessary burden of feeding, clothing, and housing a man who is no threat to society.

Please Mr. President, you could do the truly just thing. Pardon Eddy Lepp, removing all prison punishment and the felony convictions that loom over the head of this middle-aged Rastafarian minister who grew medical marijuana and now must be punished according to strict adherence to the “rule of law”.

President Obama, the California Medical Marijuana Laws are based on the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. You have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution. I plead with you to have your Department of Justice officials dismiss the case and conviction of Charles “Eddy” Lepp. Even the Judge in the case was quoted at the Sentencing Hearing saying that "I have to say I think that amount of time is excessive. But it is not up to me to legislate, it is up to Congress," The investigation, trial, conviction and sentencing of Charles “Eddy” Lepp are a miscarriage of justice. Please use your Executive powers to end the persecution.

PLEASE FREE EDDY LEPP.

SEND IT HERE
AskDOJ@usdoj.gov
oig.hotline@usdoj.gov
David.Kowal@usdoj.gov
Rasha.Gerges@usdoj.gov
president@whitehouse.gov

AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO USE OBAMA's FORM http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Estimates are that a personal phone call has 1000 times the impact of a petition and 10 times a personal letter. Call to follow-up on your email, let them know it is coming, and to give the personal touch that only voice can.

SAY:

Mention Obama's campaign promise to uphold states rights regarding medical marijuana. Also mention his oath to uphold the constitution and the 10th amendment which the California medical marijuana laws are based upon.
* Barack Obama
(202) 224-2854

* Arnold Schwarzenegger
(916) 445-2841 Member Name DC Phone DC FAX
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D- CA) 202-224-3841 202-228-3954
Senator Barbara Boxer (D- CA) 202-224-3553 202-224-0454
Representative Mike Thompson (D - 01) 202-225-3311 202-225-4335
Representative Wally Herger (R - 02) 202-225-3076 202-226-0852
Representative Dan Lungren (R - 03) 202-225-5716 202-226-1298
Representative Tom McClintock (R - 04) 202-225-2511 202-225-5444
Representative Doris Matsui (D - 05) 202-225-7163 202-225-0566
Representative Lynn C. Woolsey (D - 06) 202-225-5161 202-225-5163
Representative George Miller (D - 07) 202-225-2095 202-225-5609
Representative Nancy Pelosi (D - 08) 202-225-4965 202-225-4188
Representative Barbara Lee (D - 09) 202-225-2661 202-225-9817
Representative Ellen O. Tauscher (D - 10) 202-225-1880 202-225-5914
Representative Jerry McNerney (D - 11) 202-225-1947 202-225-4060
Representative Jackie Speier (D - 12) 202-225-3531 202-226-4183
Representative (Pete) Stark (D - 13) 202-225-5065 202-226-3805
Representative Anna G. Eshoo (D - 14) 202-225-8104 202-225-8890
Representative Mike Honda (D - 15) 202-225-2631 202-225-2699
Representative Zoe Lofgren (D - 16) 202-225-3072 202-225-3336
Representative Sam Farr (D - 17) 202-225-2861 202-225-6791
Representative Dennis Cardoza (D - 18) 202-225-6131 202-225-0819
Representative George Radanovich (R - 19) 202-225-4540 202-225-3402
Representative Jim Costa (D - 20) 202-225-3341 202-225-9308
Representative Devin Nunes (R - 21) 202-225-2523 202-225-3404
Representative Kevin McCarthy (R - 22) 202-225-2915 202-225-2908
Representative Lois Capps (D - 23) 202-225-3601 202-225-5632
Representative Elton Gallegly (R - 24) 202-225-5811 202-225-1100
Representative (Buck) McKeon (R - 25) 202-225-1956 202-226-0683
Representative David Dreier (R - 26) 202-225-2305 202-225-7018
Representative Brad Sherman (D - 27) 202-225-5911 202-225-5879
Representative Howard L. Berman (D - 28) 202-225-4695 202-225-3196
Representative Adam Schiff (D - 29) 202-225-4176 202-225-5828
Representative Henry A. Waxman (D - 30) 202-225-3976 202-225-4099
Representative Xavier Becerra (D - 31) 202-225-6235 202-225-2202
Representative Vacant ( - 32) 202-225-5464 202-225-5467
Representative Diane E. Watson (D - 33) 202-225-7084 202-225-2422
Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (D - 34) 202-225-1766 202-226-0350
Representative Maxine Waters (D - 35) 202-225-2201 202-225-7854
Representative Jane Harman (D - 36) 202-225-8220 202-226-7290
Representative Laura Richardson (D - 37) 202-225-7924 202-225-7926
Representative Grace Napolitano (D - 38) 202-225-5256 202-225-0027
Representative Linda T. Sanchez (D - 39) 202-225-6676 202-226-1012
Representative Edward R. Royce (R - 40) 202-225-4111 202-226-0335
Representative Jerry Lewis (R - 41) 202-225-5861 202-225-6498
Representative Gary Miller (R - 42) 202-225-3201 202-226-6962
Representative Joe Baca (D - 43) 202-225-6161 202-225-8671
Representative Ken Calvert (R - 44) 202-225-1986 202-225-2004
Representative Mary Bono Mack (R - 45) 202-225-5330 202-225-2961
Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R - 46) 202-225-2415 202-225-0145
Representative Loretta Sanchez (D - 47) 202-225-2965 202-225-5859
Representative John Campbell (R - 48) 202-225-5611 202-225-9177
Representative Darrell Issa (R - 49) 202-225-3906 202-225-3303
Representative Brian Bilbray (R - 50) 202-225-0508 202-225-2558
Representative Bob Filner (D - 51) 202-225-8045 202-225-9073
Representative Duncan D. Hunter (R - 52) 202-225-5672 202-225-0235
Representative Susan A. Davis (D - 53) 202-225-2040 202-225-2948